Be still

Sunday in Relief Society we were discussing the talk by Elder Ellis from October 2017 conference,  Do We Trust Him, Hard is Good.  It's such a good talk and such an important lesson I need to learn.  1) I don't like hard things for myself and 2) I REALLY don't like hard things for my kids.

I need to keep picturing them like chicks who need to peck their own way out of the shell to get stronger.

I loved sitting in that room and listening to the wisdom of the women surrounding me.  Some of them have gone through Hard things (with a capital H) and they chose to turn to the Lord in their suffering and grief.  I aspire to be more like them.

Someone mentioned that she had received the impression to be still (as in Be still and know that I am God).  Another woman raised her hand and asked the question, "But what does that look like? Being still?"

So I've been thinking about that question.  I think for me, the place where I feel most stillness is in the temple.

I have been feeling increased gratitude for temples lately, for a variety of reasons.

I'm grateful there's a new temple announced for Virginia.  Braeden took my heart to Virginia with him when he served his mission and I guess when he was leaving a bit of his heart behind, he left some of mine too.

I'm also so grateful for the temple that I see outside my window every day.  We had Seattle-like weather Saturday and clouds and fog shrouded the temple.

I missed it.

My eyes are drawn to it every time I look out the window.

A new family moved to our neighborhood from New Jersey. Sunday at church the woman said that where they had lived, it took about 5 hours and either an expensive train ride or expensive toll roads and parking to get to the Manhattan temple.  "And now I can see it from my house," she said.

It is amazing and I don't appreciate it enough.

Last week I told Olivia that we were planning a family temple trip.  "The hard part," I said, "is trying to figure out which temple to go to."

Then I realized how ridiculous that sounded.  Should we go to the Mt. Timpanogas temple that is ten minutes away or the one that is practically on BYU campus or the other one in Provo or to Braeden's favorite, the Payson temple?  That is hard?  Some people have to save for years or take long trips to go to the temple.

Sometimes I think I should just stop talking.

We ended up at the Mt. Timpanogas temple and lately we've been going to the other temples because when I walked in, I felt like I was home.  I felt the familiarity wash over me.  I felt my spirit be still.